| Third in the league 17:30 - Dec 20 with 1932 views | Vic |
2nd be defence and 2nd highest scorers.
Bit by bit we’re getting there. Not bad for a team that is only playing average most of the time. |  |
| |  |
| Third in the league on 18:12 - Dec 20 with 1672 views | billlm |
Not bad at all, |  | | |
| Third in the league on 18:13 - Dec 20 with 1661 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
You wouldn't think we had just gone third coming onto this board. |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 18:30 - Dec 20 with 1593 views | 2-5-7 |
Absolutely. Also as we know you can't pick how the league you are in will pan out,
League 1 promotion year was a one-off, as was the Championship promotion season with the number of teams pushing on so consistently.
And....just to put things into a bit of perspective as a few on here have been saying (quite rightly) how great Sunderland have been in the Prem this year - if you look at 17 games into this and last season, we were in a much better shape than we give ourselves credit for.
Wolves have been so bad even compared to last year and this time they won't pick up. West Ham also behind same point last year and two of the three promoted teams are in the mixer at foot of table. Fair play Sunderland but they are the only thing bucking the trend.
Know all irrelevant really, but just trying not to slag off being 3rd now and not yet firing on all cylinders so to speak.
Last Year Prem 17 games in:
14th West Ham 20 points
15th Everton 16 points
16th Palace 16 points
17th Leicester 14 points
18th Wolves 12 points
19th Ipswich 12 points
20th Southampton 6 points
This Year 17 games in:
14th Bournemouth 22 points
15th Fulham 20 points (game in hand)
16th Forest 18 points (game in hand)
17th Leeds 16 points (game in hand)
18th West Ham 13 points
19th Burnley 11 points
20th Wolves 2 points [Post edited 20 Dec 18:34]
|  | | |
| Third in the league on 18:32 - Dec 20 with 1562 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Third in the league on 18:13 - Dec 20 by Cheltenham_Blue |
You wouldn't think we had just gone third coming onto this board. |
.....what are you failing to understand about that performance being thoroughly underwhelming, we'd have been 2 down at least after 20 minutes against any half decent side. |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 18:32 - Dec 20 with 1556 views | Pinewoodblue |
Some people really do have unreasonable expectations. After the first 2-3 games felt would be happy if we were on 40 points at the halfway mark. Win on Boxing Day and we hit that target.
Do expect us to improve in the second half of the season, to be more consistent, more cohesive and to accumulate more points. We might fall marginally short of 2 points a game for the season but could be enough to achieve automatic promotion.
We could be a lot closer to the top two after the Portsmouth game in 4th January. Everything to play for. |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 18:33 - Dec 20 with 1555 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| Third in the league on 18:32 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
.....what are you failing to understand about that performance being thoroughly underwhelming, we'd have been 2 down at least after 20 minutes against any half decent side. |
But we weren't, were we? | |
| |
| Third in the league on 18:37 - Dec 20 with 1499 views | itfcsuth |
The numbers look good, the performances haven’t matched necessarily in my opinion. I think we’ve played in flashes throughout the season, not consistently.
That’s difference between good and great, consistency. |  | | |
| Third in the league on 18:40 - Dec 20 with 1470 views | Axeldalai_lama |
I know it's irrelevant in many ways but just looked it up and the season we 'stormed the league' 2023/24 that is our basis for comparison we 'only' won 10 games by more than one goal. We've done it 7 times already.
I think many, myself included, remember that being almost a walk over, bossing games and smashing teams, whereas most wins were by a goal and as such could have gone another way, as a few have this season. A couple more wins this season and we'd be second. |  | | |
Login to get fewer ads
| Third in the league on 18:42 - Dec 20 with 1445 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Third in the league on 18:33 - Dec 20 by Cheltenham_Blue |
But we weren't, were we? |
Not sure that's the point! Being third in a poor league doesn't make us a good nor enjoyable team to watch. | |
| |
| Third in the league on 18:44 - Dec 20 with 1435 views | lazyblue |
| Third in the league on 18:32 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
.....what are you failing to understand about that performance being thoroughly underwhelming, we'd have been 2 down at least after 20 minutes against any half decent side. |
How? |  | | |
| Third in the league on 19:04 - Dec 20 with 1326 views | Axeldalai_lama |
| Third in the league on 18:42 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Not sure that's the point! Being third in a poor league doesn't make us a good nor enjoyable team to watch. |
Is it a poor league? Or are we kind of reverse judging it based on some notion of us playing less fluently than we did after a year in the prem?
Are we that bad or are we reverse judging that based on the fluid underdog we were a couple of seasons ago that cannot ever be repeated from our position?
We are third, no ifs, no buts. We are one place below where we need to be. The end. | | | |
| Third in the league on 19:09 - Dec 20 with 1284 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| Third in the league on 18:42 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Not sure that's the point! Being third in a poor league doesn't make us a good nor enjoyable team to watch. |
Of course it's the point. Saying we would have lost to a good team when we won, and when we were playing Sheffield Wednesday is like me saying, "we'd be top if it weren't for Middlesborough and Coventry".
We ground out a win when not playing well, that's the point, not if's but's and maybes. | |
| |
| Third in the league on 19:20 - Dec 20 with 1237 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Third in the league on 19:09 - Dec 20 by Cheltenham_Blue |
Of course it's the point. Saying we would have lost to a good team when we won, and when we were playing Sheffield Wednesday is like me saying, "we'd be top if it weren't for Middlesborough and Coventry".
We ground out a win when not playing well, that's the point, not if's but's and maybes. |
We'd be top if it wasn't for Charlton, Oxford and Blackburn. Maybe I just got too used to enjoying watching us play over recent years.
Anyway look, at least I'm posting about football....os something! | |
| |
| Third in the league on 20:36 - Dec 20 with 1058 views | Garv |
| Third in the league on 18:40 - Dec 20 by Axeldalai_lama |
I know it's irrelevant in many ways but just looked it up and the season we 'stormed the league' 2023/24 that is our basis for comparison we 'only' won 10 games by more than one goal. We've done it 7 times already.
I think many, myself included, remember that being almost a walk over, bossing games and smashing teams, whereas most wins were by a goal and as such could have gone another way, as a few have this season. A couple more wins this season and we'd be second. |
We had some 3-2s and 4-3s at home, and several 1-0s away from home that weren't pretty. We were two different teams home and away, and it felt almost deliberate in that sense, it was brilliant. I can imagine a lot of opposition fans thinking 'Ipswich are top of the league, really?' when we played away.
It's all about perspective and expectation. I think it was the Wrexham game recently, I remember thinking "if this was 2023/24 we would be saying this was a really good performance" but as it was it was a drab 0-0. |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 21:48 - Dec 20 with 916 views | Vaughan8 |
The stats look impressive. The performances are not so most of the time.
Looking at the other teams, no-one really looks that good.
If we can start actually putting in performances, no-ne will be able to stop us. However, we've had time to "gel" so I'm not quite sure what is not clicking. | | | |
| Third in the league on 22:22 - Dec 20 with 806 views | NedPlimpton |
| Third in the league on 18:32 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
.....what are you failing to understand about that performance being thoroughly underwhelming, we'd have been 2 down at least after 20 minutes against any half decent side. |
Away from home Wednesday have actually been half decent this season. Before today they'd avoided defeat more times than they'd lost on their travels |  | | |
| Third in the league on 23:29 - Dec 20 with 715 views | waveneyblue |
| Third in the league on 18:32 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
.....what are you failing to understand about that performance being thoroughly underwhelming, we'd have been 2 down at least after 20 minutes against any half decent side. |
Its like you're almost disappointed we werent..... |  | | |
| Third in the league on 23:32 - Dec 20 with 700 views | waveneyblue |
| Third in the league on 22:22 - Dec 20 by NedPlimpton |
Away from home Wednesday have actually been half decent this season. Before today they'd avoided defeat more times than they'd lost on their travels |
Ssssshhh
None of that talk | | | |
| Third in the league on 00:00 - Dec 21 with 627 views | waveneyblue |
| Third in the league on 23:32 - Dec 20 by waveneyblue |
Ssssshhh
None of that talk |
Hugs and kisses BigAl.... 💋 | | | |
| Third in the league on 00:44 - Dec 21 with 539 views | Churchman |
| Third in the league on 18:42 - Dec 20 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Not sure that's the point! Being third in a poor league doesn't make us a good nor enjoyable team to watch. |
But is this ‘poor league’ mantra correct? It’s constantly trotted out, but is that just to put the boot in on our own team that so many (not tonight, we didn’t draw or lose) itch to do? Not aimed at you BDS - just a general question.
What is a ‘poor league’. With the exception of a shambolic Sheffield U and Norwich dying like a louse in a Russian’s beard, the teams I’ve seen have been organised, fit and committed even if they’ve been short on quality. I see not much difference to last season or the season before and I think the overall standard is far higher than ten years ago.
The Championship is error strewn, chaotic, exciting and farcical. It’s what is interesting - even more since there’s only one dominant team. Coventry. Watched a bit of MOTD tonight. There was some calamity defending even in that and Wolves must be wondering if they’ll ever win again. |  | | |
| Third in the league on 01:22 - Dec 21 with 494 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Third in the league on 00:44 - Dec 21 by Churchman |
But is this ‘poor league’ mantra correct? It’s constantly trotted out, but is that just to put the boot in on our own team that so many (not tonight, we didn’t draw or lose) itch to do? Not aimed at you BDS - just a general question.
What is a ‘poor league’. With the exception of a shambolic Sheffield U and Norwich dying like a louse in a Russian’s beard, the teams I’ve seen have been organised, fit and committed even if they’ve been short on quality. I see not much difference to last season or the season before and I think the overall standard is far higher than ten years ago.
The Championship is error strewn, chaotic, exciting and farcical. It’s what is interesting - even more since there’s only one dominant team. Coventry. Watched a bit of MOTD tonight. There was some calamity defending even in that and Wolves must be wondering if they’ll ever win again. |
Yes, most squads are lacking quality throughout. There was 4 very good sides in it the last time we went up a few years ago. It’s bang average, the eye test should tell you that! |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 09:07 - Dec 21 with 210 views | ringwoodblue |
I think yesterday’s game summed up our season so far. Although we won, the performance was underwhelming and it could’ve been a different outcome if the opposition was better.
We gained on those around us which is the plus from yesterday but it could easily change again over the Christmas and New Year period |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 09:14 - Dec 21 with 185 views | Mullet |
https://www.soccerstats.com/table.asp?league=england2&tid=re
If you look at ppg we are still some way off consolidating that third place though according to the form table.
Saints are flying up the table, Stoke have fallen off. Hull and QPR are in better form around us, the top two are understandably above us.
I'd say that you can't learn much from yesterday, other than a few were worried we might lose ahead of the game or looking to play down the gulf between the teams. We really need to beat Millwall and take something from Coventry don't we? |  |
| |
| Third in the league on 09:17 - Dec 21 with 166 views | NthQldITFC |
| Third in the league on 00:44 - Dec 21 by Churchman |
But is this ‘poor league’ mantra correct? It’s constantly trotted out, but is that just to put the boot in on our own team that so many (not tonight, we didn’t draw or lose) itch to do? Not aimed at you BDS - just a general question.
What is a ‘poor league’. With the exception of a shambolic Sheffield U and Norwich dying like a louse in a Russian’s beard, the teams I’ve seen have been organised, fit and committed even if they’ve been short on quality. I see not much difference to last season or the season before and I think the overall standard is far higher than ten years ago.
The Championship is error strewn, chaotic, exciting and farcical. It’s what is interesting - even more since there’s only one dominant team. Coventry. Watched a bit of MOTD tonight. There was some calamity defending even in that and Wolves must be wondering if they’ll ever win again. |
I think it's clearly poor in terms of the top four last time we were here.
Leicester, Town, Leeds, Southampton would have wiped the floor with this season's top four (including us). We were in a mini-league from the start that year of quality, or rather performance level, like a PL2 division.
Coventry at times have maybe stretched towards that, but though they've had excellent results, and played at that kind of level at times, they've also had a bit of luck against lesser teams. Not knocking them, they've been very good, but think they would have been fifth by a little way two years ago. |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
